The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-07-09
MUD PIES VERSUS TURKEYS.

noon and keep an eye to the house. and
the turkeys MS well. There seem to me
Indications of shower, and you must
be sure and not let the young turks get
wet" said Farmer Garland, as he step
ped into the buggy in which his wife
was already seated. Eyes, sir, drawl-
ed Peter slowly; but he looked glum
enough as he watched his parents out
of sight and then glanced up at the
blue sky overhead. muttering: "Stuff
and nonsense! Nobody will run away
with the house, and there is no more
danger of rain than of snow. might
just rs we'll go fishing with the other
fellows!" He did not dare. however,
to disobey so positive q command of
his fathers and pretty soon, with his
handsin his pockets, sauntered around
to the back of the farmhouse, to look
at his own especial brood of turkeys,
fine young fowls, that he was raising
himself, and which, before his minds
eye. he could already see sent to mar
ket and transformed into the jingling
coin of the republic. and that, in turn,
invested in the desire of his heart, a
bicycle. "And Thanksgiving will see
me spinning along on my metal steed.
and growing over all the boys" " he
thought, with pride and delight.
The Garland homestead was very
old-fashioned mansion. and in the rear
stood one of those brick Dutch ovens
in which our forefathers-or rather.
acknowledgements wont to bake their
famous milk pies and pan dowdies;
and close to this, Peter came u pom his
two little sisters. deep in their Satur-
day baking, and merry rs grigs, as
they concocted their pies of rich brown
mud and fresh spring water, and to
which they gave as high-sounding
names as any French chef
"What silly girls play that is!''
exclaimed Peter, as he gave one of the
little tarts kick, making wee Polly
cry out that he chad spoiled her best
Patty Foggarty," by which we suppose
she meant pate-de-fois-gras, and caused
Tressy to turn on him a pair of big.
reproachful eyes. But as he leaned idly
against the fence. watching the young
cooks. he gradually became interested
in their employment He at last ex-
claimed: "Here, girls, you don't know
how to make good mud pies! Yours
are all crooked; girls never do do things
right! I'll show you how they ought to
ber' And snatching the old han
dlelcss knife from his sisters
hands, down this pompous little
''lord of creation pumped
on the ground and began stirring up
the earth, while poor Tressy could only
sit by and hold the cup of water for his
lorlship. and Polly's sturdy little feet
were kept busy trudging back and
forth to the Dutch oven. where these
decidedly indigestible specimens of
cookery were placed to brown.
Thus the afternoon wore away until
Tressy. looking up. suddenly cried:
"Why. there is a big bank of black
clouds coming up in the west! We are
going to have rain. and the turkeys
must be driven under shelter! But
Peter who had now turned his atten-
tion from dirt pies and was absorbed
in erecting mud fort. only said:
"Don't worry; the shower won't come
here; twill go round, most likely!'
Uneasily. Tressy waited five minutes
longer, and then. rs the battalions of
clouds continued to advance, started
up saying: at is best to be on the
! safe side! Let us get the fowls
together, Peter!'
II tell you it is not going to rain,
returned Peter obstinately; "there is
enough blue sky to make trousers for
dozen sailors"
"We'll, if you won't come I shall
drive pas turkeys in myself" said
Tressy, who, although usually gentle,
yielding little creature, could be firm
enough at times.
"And have your trouble for naught
] can tell by the way of the wind that
the shower will go round, and you
had much better stay and see me finish
my Sumter"
But Trcssy thought otherwise, and
summoning Polly, the two little girls
were soon racing all over the grounds,
driving the turkeys into the hen-house,
while Peter shouted after them:
"That's right! run and tear till you
arc out of breath; but don't dare to
drive one of my brood in doorsg'
ltwas hard work to cage the wild
creatures, and the little maids were
tired out before the tail-feathers of the
last REFRACTORY gobbler disappeared
within the door and they were all
safely shut in; but by that time there
was not enough blue sky remaining to
make even q pair of gloves, and
Irossy came back timidly to the young
fort builder. to say softly. "Please,
let us drive your turkeys in, too,
Peter, for it certainly will rain very
soon, and it would be such pity II
they should get wet" But the stub.
born boy, who was too deeply engaged
to look up, retorted shortly, and un'
grammatically, mo, leave 'em alone
| ought to know what is best for m,